Might Martin be a board member who would be embarrassed by a conflict of interest in having the plays done at the theater? Or a leading member of Southern society who would startle the community with the nature of the plays? Or a religious leader who might find the secrecy liberating? Could it even be Jory himself, as many people in the theatrical community suspect? Or perhaps Jory working with someone else?

Jory has written under his own name in the past, so why would he be secretive now? On the other hand, some of that work was brutally received, so the safety of anonymity might seem appealing.

Jory doesn't confirm or deny a thing, not even the gender of the writer, though he uses the feminine pronoun when speaking of Martin.

Martin's first work was a 10-minute piece, "Twirling." It was written at a time when the Actors Theatre was actively encouraging staff members as well those in the community to write for the theater.

Most of the Martin's themes deal with women's issues. (Martin's first major work was "Talking With," a series of monologues for women.) All of the leading characters are women.

The Hartford Stage Company is also in the dark about Martin's identity. Managing director David Hawkanson says Hartford Stage is paying royalty fees through a trusteeship administered by Speer.

But why is the playwright anonymous?

"That's her business," says Jory as amiably as possible. "She wants it that way."

When pressed, he offers: "She honestly feels, for whatever reason, that she couldn't write plays if her people knew who she was and what she was. We respect that, because we would like to do these plays."

Will the identity of Jane Martin ever be known?

"People don't sustain anonymity for a decade without a reason," says Jory. "There must be something else to it. And there is."

He adds, however, that in Louisville, "nobody cares" about what Jane Martin's real name is. -- FRANK RIZZ